Aug 11 7 Worst Teams in NFL History

The NFL is beloved by millions of fans because almost anything can happen when both teams step on the field. One big hit or odd bounce of the ball can completely shift the tide of the game. The unpredictable nature of professional football makes it extremely difficult to sustain a long winning streak, but it is equally as hard to have a historic bad season. These are the seven worst teams in NFL history.

7. 1980 New Orleans Saints

Quarterback Archie Manning had arguably his best season of his long career during the 1980 season with the Saints, but he could not lead the team to more than one victory. New Orleans finished the year with the worst defense in the league. Their only win came when they topped the four-win New York Jets by one point.

6. 2001 Carolina Panthers

Chris Weinke entered the league with high expectations after winning the Heisman Trophy at Florida State, but his professional football career did not go very well. Weinke helped the 2001 Carolina Panthers win their first game of the season, but they followed up the victory with 15 consecutive losses.

5. 2009 St. Louis Rams

Stephen Jackson averaged nearly 100 rushing yards a game during the 2009 season, but his excellent performance was not good enough to make up for the team's terrible quarterback play and depleted defense. The 2009 St. Louis Rams finished the year with a 1-15 record. Their only win came against the Detroit Lions in Week 8. The Lions only won two games in 2009.

4. 1990 New England Patriots

It may be hard to envision the New England Patriots having a bad season, but the franchise had a lot of terrible teams before hiring Bill Parcells in 1993. The Patriots had an extremely tough schedule in 1990, but they still only averaged 11 points a game on their way to a 1-15 record.

3. 1991 Indianapolis Colts

The historically bad offense of the Patriots in 1990 was topped by the Indianapolis Colts the next year. Jeff George was supposed to the savior of the franchise, but he struggled throughout his four-year career in Indianapolis. The 1991 Colts only managed to score 143 points, which is the second lowest total during a 16-game season in league history.

2. 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers will always have the distinction of being the first team in the NFL to have a winless season. The Buccaneers deserve some slack because it was their first year in the league, but their 0-14 record is hard to ignore.

1. 2008 Detroit Lions

The 2008 Detroit Lions had some talented players on offense, but the defense made it tough to win by giving up nearly 33 points a game. The 2008 Lions managed to top the ineptitude of the 1976 Buccaneers by becoming the first team in league history to finish the regular season with a 0-16 record.